The protracted planning battle over the carbon emissions from the redevelopment of Marks & Spencer’s flagship Oxford Street store and the introduction of carbon offset pricing by Westminster council and the City of London has prompted a huge shift towards refurbishment over redevelopment in the capital over the past five years. And many in the industry – particularly large developers, designers, consultants and contractors – are keen to reduce the carbon emissions from construction. 

But what about those buildings that are beyond viable refurbishment because they are in a terrible condition, or where the floor to ceiling heights are impossibly low? Sometimes, it may even be more carbon efficient to demolish a building rather than spend a lot of time and resources trying to bring a basket case up to scratch.